IN THE GROOVE (June 27, 2023)

“Ella Fitzgerald is the only performer with whom I’ve ever worked who made me nervous, because I know I need to meet her standards.”

So said Frank Sinatra in 1959.

Sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song“, “Lady Ella” and “Queen of Jazz”, Ella Fitzgerald was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation and improvisational ability, particularly in her “scat” singing.

I could write pages about Ella Fitzgerald and her many accomplishments but I know you don’t want to read that. You’d much rather listen to her sing, wouldn’t you?

I must apologize for having only audio today; as I’ve said before, I will always try to give you the very best quality video experience possible. Sometimes there aren’t any good videos to be found, as is the case today. So sit back, close your eyes and delight in the divine sounds of “Lady Ella”.

This is George Gershwin’s exquisite “Someone To Watch Over Me”.

That was sheer brilliance, effortless perfection. I feel like that guy looks in the lower right of the YouTube pic!

Earlier in the post I mentioned scat; Ella was the best when it came to that style of singing. I’m not going to load up my page today with another video; instead I’d like to make a suggestion: if you’re in the mood for some of the best scat you’ll ever hear, check out Ella singing a little something called “Smooth Sailing”. It will knock your socks off!

Well, that’s it for me today here In The Groove. Deb’s coming up tomorrow with another segment of World Music. Stay cool and I’ll catch ya next week!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller